


A Gentleman's Agreement

by Esperata



Category: The Batman (Cartoon)
Genre: Arkham Asylum, M/M, Origami, Tentative Truce
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-05
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-06-07 18:00:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19474429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Esperata/pseuds/Esperata
Summary: In the aftermath of 'Batman vs Dracula', Penguin seems to be the only one with any memory of the vampire. He finds comfort from an unlikely ally.





	A Gentleman's Agreement

Penguin was sulking. Which wasn’t all that unusual but it had been going on for more than three days now. Even by his tempestuous standards, that was a bit much.

Normally there would be a day of brooding over plans spoiled, combined with teasing from the more coherent inmates, before the regrets would be dismissed and the points of failure acknowledged. Or at least blame allocated. This time however, Penguin was hanging onto his innocence – as much as he had any – and stubbornly protesting it had not been his crime.

Riddler had watched all the conflict about this with interest. The other inmates were delighting in mocking the habitually proud man for his insistence that the recent kidnapping had been vampires. The more deviously minded were trying to coerce him into revealing what his plan had really been.

And to it all, Penguin reacted the same way. With a pout and a claim that he was telling the truth.

It wasn’t until they entered the relative quiet period of Arkham’s day, when all the inmates had been fed their drugs to pacify them, that Riddler chose to approach the other rogue himself.

He was given a cursory glance before Oswald refocused on his compulsory craft project and Ed took that as tacit permission to sit. Before opening any dialogue, he drew a sheet of paper across to himself and began making folds.

“I believe you, you know,” he offered a few minutes later holding up an origami bat between his fingers delicately.

Oswald glanced across to him, eyes taking in the intricate paper creation before frowning suspiciously.

“Why?” he challenged. “You’re the last person I would expect to believe in the supernatural.”

Riddler conceded that with an inclination of his head as he lay down the bat and chose another sheet of paper.

“True. But I am prepared to accept a sufficient weight of evidence as fact.”

“And my word’s enough for you is it?” Oswald growled slightly, though whether that was solely directed at his companion or his own craft work which he was currently scrunching into a ball Ed didn’t know.

“Not exactly.” When this received a curious look he continued. “You’re a proud man Penguin. It seems inconceivable to me that if you had managed to kidnap and hold so many citizens simultaneously without arising suspicion that you wouldn’t be crowing about it. And you’re intelligent. If you were still trying to conceal your plans… perhaps to continue at a later date… then you would undoubtedly come up with a more believable explanation than vampires.

“So there is no way to my mind that you would in fact endure the scorn and mockery of those beneath you if it weren’t for the fact you were sure in your convictions. It’s a measure of your pride that you’d rather be disbelieved than sink to petty lying. You’re nothing if not an honest criminal after all.”

Penguin had stopped what he was doing to stare. His gaze wandered over Ed’s placid expression, seeking the punchline to this particular joke but coming up empty.

“So you’re saying you therefore believe in vampires? Based on nothing but a character analysis?”

Ed shrugged.

“Surely its not that much of a stretch of the imagination? We live and work alongside a man-bat and a creature of clay. Joker has died and come back more times than I can count. Surely we can believe in a person in perpetual limbo between life and death.”

A tentative smile formed on Oswald’s face.

“Exactly. I swear to you I saw him rise from the grave. It was literally the scariest thing I have ever seen.”

Riddler hummed at that, eyes fixed on his fingers as they completed their manipulation.

“It makes me wonder what else might be out there,” he said thoughtfully. “If there are things so much more dangerous than us around, it might be as well to form a… tacit truce. A gentleman’s agreement if you will.” Then he held up his next creation with a smile of his own. “What do you say Penguin?”

Oswald was momentarily speechless as he registered what Riddler had made. It was a perfectly two-tone folded penguin. Unconsciously he wet his lips before answering.

“A gentleman’s agreement?” he repeated.

“Yes. To share information that might be of benefit. So long as it won’t prove personally detrimental. Perhaps even to lend support in each other’s endeavours occasionally.”

“Or perhaps even offer aid when the public isn’t giving fair judgement?”

Riddler smiled at the unsubtle request and proffered the origami gift.

“A reciprocal partnership of equals,” he agreed. “An insult to one is an insult to both. After all, I’d hardly associate with a blabbering fool.”

Penguin grinned as he accepted the offering.

“Likewise Riddler.” He stopped himself and hesitated. “Or may I call you Edward?”

“If I might call you Oswald,” Riddler countered.

Oswald extended his hand which Edward immediately took.

“This looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” Penguin commented with a cawing laugh.

Riddler offered an enigmatic soft smile in return.


End file.
